In the Summer
by MsMarilynAdams
Summary: Was at one time just a one-shot. I've expanded it due to the positive feedback. Read and enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

They were kids at the time, teenagers just entering the world of crushes and romance. He'd frightened her naturally, at first; all she saw in the beginning was this inhuman thing leaning over her, holding out a hand and telling her she needed to get out of her destroyed car. She hadn't screamed, which made a difference to him, even though he knew it was because she was in a state a shock that rendered her vocal cords mute.

Her first car, that bright cherry red convertible that her parents got her, had been the instrument that nearly ended her, the brakes giving out as she had flown down the highway; carefree, smiling and dreaming of her perfect life ahead of her.

She had seen that perfect life sear into smoke as the car wouldn't slow, as it headed straight for the pole, as the front of that pretty little vehicle wrapped around it. An explosion of pain had blacked out her vision; red blood, blood that blended so well with the ruined car, blossomed in her gray-blonde hair.

She couldn't move, broken doll that she was, head against the steering wheel, her lungs struggling to catch up with her rapid heartbeat.

He'd looked like Death at first, the blurry dark figure pulling her away from the steering wheel, the stars blinding lights behind him. She couldn't scream as the green skin came into focus, the large mass on his back, the bright eyes that hurt her own like the white bursts that interrupted her unsteady sight. Like the flames and heat that she managed to see from the her peripherals, the blood sliding down her face and giving her vision a hellish red tinge.

She'd tried to unbuckle herself but only to find her weak fingers not obeying. A flash of silver sliced through the red and she was suddenly free, strong arms around her body, making the pain in her head more pronounced, the retching pushing at her throat as the Thing swung her out of the car, taking her quickly away from the wreck.

Cold pavement on her back, her bare legs and arms registering it as freezing. Her mind was sloshing around, vision blurring, her stomach permanently stuck in her throat, threatening to come out. Voices. Two. One louder, nearer, coming from the thing holding her. A deeper voice, one just crossing the puberty line.

"I gotcha'. Don't worry, sweetheart, you're gonna be ok. I swear. Donatello!"

The voice, although unfamiliar, seemed so sure. She would make it. He (the Thing was undoubtedly a male) would help her. Save her. He'd promised.

A lighter voice, slightly more nasally sounding but male also.

"I'm here, Raphael. Angle her head, we've got to keep her awake. God, the blood...I already called the ambulance. We need to stay as long as we can."

Raphael. Wasn't that a name of an Archangel? That made sense. He was an angel. A terrifying one, but an angel. She would be ok.

She fought to stay awake, her fingers gripping weakly at his hand, trying to focus her eyes on him.

She was a beautiful girl, one that April would normally hate, but she clutched at him like he was the only thing keeping her bound to this world. Her face was bruised, hair bloody and matted and Raphael held her as long as he could, Don fretting over her wounds as they waited for the ambulance. When the flashing lights came, he gently laid her down. She choked out a few sobs as he stood, reaching for him with shaking arms.

In a gurgled rasp, she said his name. She said "stay" and "please" and those words ripped at him. She was looking directly at him and even though he knew she could only see him through blurry eyes, the mutant teen felt as he were Donnie and he was leaving April there, broken and dying.

"I'll be back," he whispered to her, kneeling down to put her torn and ruined jacket under her head. "I'll come see you," he promised before vanishing.

He'd been true to his word. After all the bright lights and the sharp needles, the stitches and the pain killers, she was lying in the hospital bed in a private room overlooking Central Park, recovering, surrounded by flowers from her well-off friends and family. He was there. Just like the deformed angel she'd seen through bloody eyes, he was at the window suddenly, the moonlight lighting his form. She saw him perfectly now.

Green skin, reptilian features and bright green eyes. The Brooklyn accent he spoke with made her think of the lower-classed kids she went to school with. He was hideous. He was beautiful. He'd saved her life and she owed him more than she could think of. He didn't look like the others boys she talked too, he didn't act like them, either.

He spoke to her gently, asking how she felt, but there was a roughness to him, an unspoken threat to everyone around him. He carried weapons, sharp fork-like tools at his waist. He wore a red mask and only came near her after they'd talked for over an hour.

The days progressed, he came by every night, leaving before dawn. Eventually, he allowed her to turn on the bedside light, enabling her to see him fully. Her bruises had healed. A thin, snow-white scar appeared out of her hairline but didn't affect her features any less.

They grew comfortable and soon she was out of the hospital, meeting him in the small park near the loft her parents owned. Days became weeks and weeks turned into months. He was Raphael, mutated 16 year old that lived in the sewers with his brothers and rodent-like father. She was Sarina, well-off 17 year old from the rich side of New York who resided in an empty loft while her parents worked for more and more money. She was just another pretty asset. He was just another freak from the dark part of the city.

But awkward beginnings turned into an easy romance, full of hesitant kisses and sweaty hands. They spent as long as they could together. She left behind her high-class "friends" and broke all expectations of her. He trained harder, wanting to be able to protect her, wanting to control that rage that she'd somehow subdued.

And then she left. Sent away by her never-there parents to Golden Coast. California was a long way away from New York, but Raphael didn't give up. She promised to come back and he believed in her.

But just like the years previous, days flew into months and years and he was older now, a man instead of a teen. He waited still although his mind told him she wasn't coming back. Alcohol tempted him, made him think of the temporary peace it brought. His brothers couldn't help him. They could only watch as he disappeared every night to that park they spent so much time at.

The bottles started off small and emptied slowly. Eventually they grew in size and amount, disappearing much more rapidly. His anger came back as he hit the beginning of manhood, as his height increased along with his strength. He soon towered over Michelangelo and Leonardo, finally eye to eye with Donatello. But he felt like he was growing weaker. Felt like he was missing something. Felt like he would never see her again.

When he slept, he saw blonde-gray strands, sea-foam eyes and pink lips, smiling at him, laughing with him. He felt her arms, her heartbeat, her warmth. He would try to stay there, in that dream world, away from everything except her. He would breathe in her scent of vanilla and patchouli, kiss her face and tell her how much he loved her. But the dreams always ended the same way. She would slowly disappear from his arms. He always woke up the same way, his chest hurting and a pain that raged through him, fighting and drinking the only way he could channel it.

Another night, another 40 oz., another stumbling walk through the sewers to the park. Hope was a small, dying seed in his gut. The bottle stayed clenched in his hand, the tunnels unending. The air that reached him as he finally emerged seemed to tell him that he was wasting his time. The park was quiet, like it had been every night since she'd left all those years ago.

Then, suddenly, like the night her car had sent her violently spinning into his life, she was back. There, in the park, coming from behind the tree that held their initials marked with his Sai, in a white summer dress, her blue eyes dancing as she smiled brilliantly at him with her arms wide. The bottle dropped from his large hand, unopened.

She was in his arms in a moment, clutched to his chest and it was like they were kids again. Gone were the awkward talks and sweaty hands. Loving words and passion-fueled kisses replaced them, making their bond snap back to it's original strength. She was there. With him. She'd chose him over the rich future that had been planned out for her. He'd chose her over the bitterness and anger that had controlled him for so long.


	2. Chapter 2

"Dammit, Mikey, STOP!" The red-masked turtle roared at his brother, shoving him away roughly. The smaller turtle looked crushed, stumbling backwards as he watched his older brother before his brow furrowed and he stuck his tongue out at Raphael.

"You don't have to get butthurt, bro, I was just playing with you," he griped, moving to pick up the over-sized turtle head that he'd once had to wear for hours on end. The prankster turtle left the room just as Leonardo came in the dojo. He noticed Raph, huffed up near the punching bag and fought the urge to roll his eyes. Another hissy-fit from his younger brother.

"Leo," Raphael ground out as a greeting before laying his fist heavily into the stuffed leather bag once again. The loud thuds rang in Leo's ears as he stretched. He wasn't on talking terms with the red-banded terrapin. Lately, he'd been getting more and more reckless, being seen all other topside by humans.

Raphael didn't seem to notice the danger that he was putting himself and his family in. He just did whatever he wanted to do.

The brothers had recently turned 16, their teenage minds becoming more and more restless, wandering from cars to girls to wanting a normal teenage life. Although Michelangelo wore his frustration and constantly wandering mind on his sleeve, Raph somehow managed to morph his into anger and frustration, taking it out on everyone in the lair.

The silence hung heavy in the dojo as Leo moved through his pre-meditation movements slowly and Raph continued to hammer at the punching bag. Leo counted in his head. Three, two, one...

"So what? You gotta problem with me too, huh?" Raph exclaimed rudely, giving the bag one last hit before turning to his older brother. Leo sighed.

"I'm not doing this with you tonight, Raph," he replied, continuing with his motions even though he knew there was no way he'd be able to fully concentrate on his meditation tonight.

"Oh? What, you too good ta talk ta your own brother now, O Great One?" The hot-headed turtle scoffed. Leo stumbled slightly as Raph gave him a shove. With a growl he turned to his brother, the one that was so similar to him but so different. Raphael was Leo without control and the blue-banded turtle saw that all to well when they fought and he was pretty sure he was about to see it again.

"Alright, Raphael, you want to talk? Let's talk. How about we talk about the IDIOTIC decisions you've made lately?!" Leo threw his hands up as he said this, a fake expression of concern on his face. Raph's lip twitched as he stepped closer.

"Idiotic, huh? If I remember correctly, you were the one tryin' ta hook up wit' the Princess of the freakin' Foot," He spat back, enjoying the look of shock on Leo's face. A flush of red bloomed beneath his blue mask. He opened his mouth to reply, all thoughts of meditation out of his head.

Donatello sighed, hearing the yelling coming from the dojo. Leo and Raph were fighting again for, like, the 14th time that day. The Scientist was tired of hearing it, tired of having to lose his concentration because they wouldn't shut up. Between their fights and Mikey's ADHD-like tendencies, Don hardly ever found quiet time to work on his projects, even while he was in his lab.

There was a loud bang and Raph stormed out of the dojo, green eyes bright with fury. Don watched him, Leo coming out of the dojo, a frown of regret on his face.

"Raph, wai-"

"Don't fuckin' talk ta me, Leonardo," the said turtle snarled back as he shoved passed Mikey, making the younger turtle call out with a shrill "Heeeeyyy!". When Raphael was gone, Don looked over to his older brother.

"What did you say to him this time?" he asked, adjusting the knot on the back of his head, the purple fabric tightening easily.

Leo shook his head and looked at the door where Raph had exited. "He threw Karai in my face. You know how I am about that subject, Donnie. So...so I told him that at least I could catch the interest of someone, that his personality and attitude would only lead to him dying alone," Leo admitted, dropping his eyes to the floor, his large hand coming up to rub his brow. He didn't know why he'd said it. He normally wouldn't stoop that low. But Raph had been riding his nerves hard for the past few weeks. He'd just snapped...

Donatello sighed and looked down at his unfinished sketch of a new stealth cycle. With another exaggerated sigh, he pushed away from the table and grabbed his bo, slipping it into the case on his shell. He left the lab, closing the door behind him and made his way out.

With a pat to his older brother's shoulder, he said "Don't worry, Leo. I'll bring him back."

The streets of New York City where weirdly empty tonight, which pushed the red-banded turtle to going out more than he normally would. He stood at the edge of an alley way near a four-way stop, looking for a scum-bag to pulverize, pretending it was Leo there instead.

He growled at the thought of Mr. Perfect. What did he know about Raph being lonely? The hell he was! Raphael didn't need anyone, not Leo, not a love interest and sure as hell not a friend. He shifted, his gut knotting as he thought about it. Sure, it would be nice to be able to hang out with someone who wasn't packin' sausage but where the hell was he gonna find that? It wasn't like he could just waltz up to a girl and ask for her number.

April didn't count. She was more of Don's thing and Raph knew if he so much as showed slight un-brotherly interest, it would ruin Don't trust in him. Raphael smiled. If he had to choose one brother to hang out with all day, it would be Donatello. Raphael didn't mind listening to his stupid, high-tech ramblings really. He thought Donatello was cool for his intelligence, in a way.

"So, would a "Why did the turtle cross the road?' be inappropriate right now?" A Familiar voice came from behind him and Raph turned, his green eyes meeting Don's amber ones. He snorted.

"Are you always this lame?" The red-banded brother asked and he moved his eyes back to the freeway.

"Sometimes. Sometimes I like to open with a song. Something Britney Spears-like," Donatello replied, shrugging as he crossed his arms, watching the traffic roll by. Raphael snorted again and for a while, silence reigned between the two brothers.

"Don't let Leo get to you. You fluster him. You frighten him because you two are so much alike," Donatello said, finally breaking the silence. Raph shifted again and made a rude sound.

"We're 'bout as similar as water and wine, Donnie," he stated, his eyes shifting to the ground.

"Not entirely. You both have the drive, passion and determination to lead us. You're both stronger than Mikey and myself. But where he has to stay bound and controlled, you get to run free and dangerous. I think he might envy your freedom, Raph," he replied, shifting to glance at his brother, his face drawn in seriousness.

Raphael stayed silent, mulling over this information for a while before a high-pitched scream reached them. Their eyes darted up the empty highway. A small, shiny cherry-red coupé convertible was flying towards them, the young woman in the driver's seat trying to stop the car. As the car neared at an alarming rate, a small Volkswagen pulled out into the intersection.

Raphael and Donatello watched helplessly as the girl in the driver's seat of the convertible yanked on the wheel, avoiding the Volkswagen but smashing straight into the metal light pole. The screech of metal and the unnatural crunch of bone reached the boys' ears.

In a split-second, they were hurtling towards the car, determined on getting the woman out as a blossom of flame lit the hood of the totalled car.


	3. Chapter 3

In the vast city, no one noticed one small wreck. No one really cared about the one teen girl who lay severely injured inside the car. No one except the two mutated turtles that could only think about getting her out before the fire reached the gas tank.

Adrenalin pushed through Raph as he gained ground on the car. With Donatello on the other side, trying to get the door open, Raph simply reached the point where the rag top met window-shield. He gripped it and ripped the contraption off the vehicle, exposing the bloody girl inside.

Red glistened in the disheveled blonde hair of the girl. Upon pulling her back from the wheel, eliciting a groan from the young woman, Raphael could see that she was about the same age as Don and himself. A large gash ran down her forehead, the skin inflamed and turning a sick blackish-purple as he watched.

"Don, she's conscious," Raph said. His brother made his way to the driver's side of the vehicle and looked down at the bruised sea-foam eyes that looked up at them, half-lidded and bloodshot.

"Get her out of there, Raph," Don snapped, amber eyes flicking over to the ever-growing flames. He obeyed immediately, Sai suddenly in his hand and slicing the fabric of the seat belt that the girl was trying to grasp at. Once the fabric was cut, his arms were around her, lifting her up and out of the seat and instantly dashing away from the car, the entire hood now engulfed.

No sooner had Don and Raph got about 50 feet away, the tank exploded. The boys rolled into the fall, Raph keeping the girl clutched safely to his chest, his shell and arms taking most of the assault from the asphalt. When the two came to a halt, he carefully lowered her to the ground, listening to every instruction Donatello gave to him.

The girl's eyes locked on him and her hands held weakly to him. Raph felt a tinge of panic.

"You're gonna be OK, sweetheart. Don't worry. I swear," He reassured her quietly, his voice rough as he looked to Donatello for confirmation. The other turtle was frowning, his brow scrunched up in worry as he slowly shook his head, telling Raph without words that he wasn't sure she would make it.

"Her pulse is extremely weak, Raphael. A-and there's so much blood..God, the blood," Don murmured, moving to retrieve the sterile cleansing clothes from the pack on his hips. Gently, he wipe away the blood from her eyes.

Her face was terribly bruised, but even so, Raph could tell she was beautiful. Golden curls, tainted and wet with shimmering blood, tilted green-blues eyes that were made even brighter by the broken blood vessels against them, and clear, ivory skin that was more exposed with every swipe of the towelette.

She had a full mouth, the kind like the girl Raph had seen in Blood and Chocolate and a small, slightly tipped nose. If he remembered correctly, she was the type of girl who April was always raging about. The popular, rich girl. The one that, had he met her in any other situation, she wouldn't be looking up at him with so much damn admiration.

Her thin fingers gripped at his forearm as hard as she could. Raph felt his heart pounding against his plastron. Was this what all the superheroes in Mikey's stupid comics felt when they rescued the beautiful damsel? He wasn't all to sure he liked it.

The silence was deafening around them, the cracking and popping of the inferno behind them didn't reach the brothers ears. Don had his Cell out, talking quickly into it before hanging up and replacing it back into its case.

"The ambulance is on their way. We can't leave her till they get closer. She has a better chance of us being here while she's in shock," he stated, digging in the little pack he always had tucked near his shell. Pulling out two small white packets, he crunched them in his hands before slipping one into the small pockets of her jacket.

"Heat packs. She needs to stay warm," he offered to Raph, who was looking a little overwhelmed at the moment. The red-masked turtle nodded and pulled her closer, covering more of her body with his in attempt to give her his body heat, forgetting that he was cold-blooded.

"How..Why did she.." Raph asked, his eyes still locked to the girl's. Don looked over at the car with a frown.

"The most likely scenario is that the brakes gave out. I can't catch the scent of alcohol or any drugs on her," He said quietly, examining the girl once again without physically touching her. He couldn't do anything else to help her at the moment. He prayed the ambulance would get here soon.

Just as the thought crossed his mind, A loud wail of sirens reached the boys. Cherry and blueberries lit the sky down the road, growing larger by the minute.

"It's time to go, Raphael," he said quietly, getting up and slipping into the shadows. Raph didn't want to go, it felt wrong, leaving her here on the pavement in the dark. But he knew it would only cause more trouble if they were to see him.

Cursing under his breath, he slowly placed her completely on the ground and stood up. About to race into the shadows, he heard something that ripped at his chest.

"Rapha...el...stay...please.."

The voice was sweet but broken and gurgled. His head snapped back to look down at the girl. Arms stretched out towards him, shaking pitifully, the bloodied and battered girl called out to him.

"Oh, man," Raph hissed, feeling a hole open up in the pit of his stomach. He swallowed and heard Don's voice his at him again from the shadows. How could he do this?

Quickly, without thinking, he knelt beside the girl, his mouth near her ear.

"I'll come see ya. Stay alive," He said, lingering for only a moment before turning into one of the many shadows of the night, his heart pounding as he raced with his brother back to the lair.

NEW YORK CITY CENTRAL HOSPITAL 4:32 AM

FIVE DAYS LATER

"_So I put my faith in something unknown."_

Sarina opened her eyes, not daring to move her body in the slightest. The hospital room was dark and quiet. Her parents had paid for a single room, making sure she had plenty of room for the main vases of flowers and balloons that had been sent to her from people she hardly knew. People that only cared because of who her parents were and what her social status was.

The steady drip, drip of the IV made her look to the left, swollen eyes finding the digital clock on the bedside table. Four in the morning and she was awake. Again. The pain pills kept the pounding in her head at bay but did little to help her sleep.

She remained still, her eyes moving to the large window overlooking Central Park. The moon hung low and a few stars were out. It looked like any other night. But then again, the night she'd wrecked looked like any other night. She still couldn't believe that the dealership hadn't caught the faulty brake pads on the vehicle. Knowing her parents, there was probably already a heavy lawsuit of some kind on the company.

She sighed quietly, content on watching the moon (there wasn't much else she could do) and wondering about the strange creature that had pulled her from the car. Her memory was fuzzy but she remembered the rough skin, the green skin, and those horribly bright green eyes. She also remembered a name.

Raphael.

What had he been? Was he even real or a figment of her imagination? Her mother, who had called but couldn't come in because of her busy schedule, told her that the paramedics had found heating packets in her coat and that a lot of blood had been cleaned from her face.

That meant he was real. There was no way she could have cut her seat belt, tore the roof of her car off, crawled from the wreckage before it exploded and then proceed to cleanse her own wounds. Not with a head wound that resulted in a concussion, a broken arm and three broken ribs. Someone, or something, had pulled her from the wreckage. And she would be forever grateful to whomever it was.

The 17-year-old knew that she had to keep up the perfect mask her parents had created for her but the constant charade ate away at what happiness she had felt as a child but dying was not in her future agenda and she barely escaped that last fiasco.

The blonde's mind wandered back to the green man, gazing out the large window absently, when the figure suddenly dropped down, clinging to the outside glass like a formidable demon. Sarina's mouth popped open as her eyes grew wide in a mix of terror and shock. What the hell was clinging to her window.

In the bright moonlight, she made out a three-fingered hand, a shimmer of green and red and knew almost immediately that it was Raphael, whatever he may be. She couldn't move, fear gripping at her chest, causing her breathing to become labored.

The large thing, hesitated, watching her with those green orbs. He's gauging my reaction, she realized through her terror. Somewhere, the Perfect Sarina surfaced, pushing at her to relax.

"_Always be calm and smile. That's what matters in public. Control those wild tendencies." _

Her mother and father had drilled that into her head and for once, she was grateful. She couldn't smile but she was instantly ice. Perfect.

The window slid open slowly.

"I ain't gonna hurt ya," a rough voice with a Brooklyn accent stated, "I was just...I just wanted to see how ya were."

The creature stayed on the window sill, gripping it with one hand as he waited for her to respond in some kinda way. Fear pushed up in her throat and she felt like she was going to hurl her hospital dinner everywhere. But she pushed it down and shook her head. He didn't sound like he wanted to hurt her, besides he would have done that the night of the car accident if he'd really wanted too.

"Raphael," she croaked out. He tensed in the darkness.

"Y-you...come in. You don't have to stay on the sill. You'll fall," she said quietly, trying to keep her voice level.

The room wasn't flooded in light but it was illuminated in a white glow and as he stepped from the shadows, her heart pounded. He wasn't human. He had a humanoid male body, but his chest and stomach were covered in a pale plastron and what could only be a large turtle shell on his back. The expression of irritation and anxiousness on his face was very human-like, even some features of his face. He was built better than most of the young men she knew; sculpted and extremely toned muscles lined his body, threatening violence. Sharp tools were tucked into the simple belt he wore.

The only other articles he wore were knee and elbow pads. And a ragged red mask over his eyes. He was taller than her and broader. Her mind reeled. He was magnificent and hideous, beautiful and terrifying. He was her savior.

Sudden hot tears burned in her eyes as she looked at him, her breath hitching violently.

"Thank you, Raphael. Thank you so much for saving me," she choked out, her fear lingering but quickly being drowned out by overwhelming appreciation of the creature in front of her.

Raphael's face registered sudden shock at her tears and words. He looked away, his defiant gaze now wandering as a blush crept to his face. What a weirdo, the teen thought.

"Hey, relax, it was nothing. Would've done it for anybody," he said, his tone embarrassed and awkward.

Then she smiled at him and his heart dropped. Through her tears and bruises, that smile blazed out at him. Sarina managed a quiet, strangled laugh before she winced, her ribs hurting.

"Well, still. You have no idea how grateful I am to you."

He shrugged and silenced reigned between them for a while.

"So, uh, how's the head?" He asked, breaking the silence. Sarina reached tentatively to the stitched up wound.

"It's not so bad now but I'm on a lot of pain killers so. 17 stitches to close it up," she told him, watching his green eyes study her. He was so strange-looking.

"I gotta tell ya, sweetheart, you look like shit," he blurted, his eyes going wide as soon as he said it. Sarina, insulted, just looked back at him in mutual shock before busting up in laughter again.

"Well, you don't look so hot yourself, buddy," she retorted, grimacing as she laughed, pain spreading in her face and ribs.

He smiled then, laughing, his voice gravelly, and she couldn't help but realize how it changed his features, making him more human, more of a teenager like herself. In a strange way, he could be considered attractive.

"My name's Sarina Windsor," she said, her eyes dancing, making Raph's stomach fill with ADD bunnies.

"I'm Raphael...but, I guess you can call me Raph."


	4. Chapter 4

/My apologies for it being short. Work has me exhausted. Hope you enjoy it :)/

"Raphael is the "dark" TMNT. A

cynic. A pessimist. The "Crazy".

He is anti-social and ill-tempered.

Raphael likes to leave-alone and be left-alone.

Raphael doesn't start fights but

finishes them. In a dog-eat-dog world

Raphael is the Big Dog."

-TMNT Personal Profile

The beautiful blonde woman halted outside the hospital door, looking through the narrow window At her daughter sleeping peacefully, the sunlight streaming in and shining off her golden hair. Thick, dark gold curls so similar to the older woman's.

Katrina Windsor smiled, her eyes stinging as she lowered them to the door handle. Her daughter had almost died. Although Vincent hardly cared, Katrina had nearly chewed through the door of the hospital door when she'd first arrived and found out her daughter was in surgery.

Katrina couldn't say that Sarina and herself had been terribly close, the woman letting Vincent and her new found money take her attention for a good stretch. But as Sarina grew, she didn't show any signs of resenting her. The quiet little girl had gone to all the etiquette classes, did exactly what they told her and grew up into a beautiful and sophisticated woman, one fitting perfectly into the family of New York elite she'd been born into.

Katrina frowned, a crease puckering her brow. Sarina wasn't exactly born of the elite. Katrina had been pregnant and homeless when Vincent had found her, cleaned her up and used money to bend her into obeying his every whim. He hardly ever resorted to violence. Katrina knew when to keep quiet, knew when he would strike her the hardest by mentioning how Sarina was the product of trash, that Katrina herself and her baby were worthless without him. His favorite threat was that he could put them right back on the streets.

Sarina, poor girl, wasn't aware that she was a bastard child of a man she never even knew. And Katrina hadn't planned on telling her. She would do everything she could to keep Sarina living in comfort, having everything she ever wanted. The girl might not know it, but her mother loved her more than anything, wanted her to have everything that Katrina herself never had.

Slowly, not wanting to wake the girl, she slipped in a left the small bouquet of daffodils on her daughters nightstand. She stood there for a few moments, just watching her sleep for a few moments before turning and, reluctantly, leaving. Vincent had a dinner meeting and "required" her to be there.

_You are terrifying and strange _

_and beautiful, something not _

_everyone knows how to love._

_-Warsan Shire_

"New flowers?" He asked, his voice low as he sat on the window sill, waving a Sai towards the round pink vase. Sarina turned her head and nodded, a small smile on her face.

"Yeah. My mom brought them to me while I was sleeping, I guess. Which, in and of itself is unusual. Normally it's one of my father's people. But the nurse earlier told me it was a tall blonde woman. It could only be mom," she said, turning her head back to face Raphael, the radio playing quietly in the background. He had refused to come in with the lamp lit. Said he didn't think she was a ready to see him full on. She argued that she saw most of him and already knew what he looked like, but he had still refused. Always the people-pleaser, Sarina had submitted with a smile, shutting the lamp off.

She hated fighting. Hated the stress and the anger of it. The young woman had been raised to be submissive without even realizing didn't understand why everyone felt it necessary.

They had talked for a little while, discussing how she was and the weather and all that before a silence loomed.

"Raphael?" she asked, breaking the silence.

"Yeah?"

"Why do you come see me? I mean, I enjoy your visits I think you're the closest thing to a real friend that I have, but I'm just one person out of the hundreds that you've saved. So, what made you choose to visit me?"

The red-masked turtle shifted uncomfortably on the sill, glad that he was on the other side of the room from her. To be honest, he wasn't sure why he kept coming. It seemed like a mixture of a bunch of problems. His loneliness being a major part but also, whenever he was around her, it was like the air cooled, his temper cooled and he could just relax without worrying about defending himself every minute. Rotating his shoulder, he shrugged and grunted.

"Well, you know, I jus' wanna make sure you're not gonna decide ta go on another joy ride," he started, his eyes focusing on everything except her as he continued, "I don' know, maybe it's because you're not judgin' me, ya know? My brothers, jeesh, especially Leo, they're always sayin' I need to calm down, to control my tempa. But it's _them_ who push my buttons. Around here; around you, I ain't got to worry about that. We talk, we insult one another, we laugh. What's not ta like?"

Sarina couldn't help the grin that broke her face or the laugh that climbed out of her throat. Raph tensed.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing, just...I'm glad you chose to come visit me. I would have never gotten to know you if you hadn't. You're a pretty wonderful person, Raphael."

The teen felt his face heat up and turned his head to face the park, unable to meet her eyes. _This chick... _Raphael thought, unable to decipher the feelings he'd been bombarded with recently. Whenever he was here, he couldn't not see the bruises fading, couldn't help but see the nearly flawless face coming out from under them.

She was...different. Raphael didn't know whether to make some smooth comment or make fun of her. She had him all confused and distracted all the freakin' time! Raphael knew from watching Don and April that nothing good could come out of going after a human female.

Alas, Raphael was still a teen boy, his mind wandering back to the beautiful girl that he and Don had rescued, even while he was in the same room with her.

"Suckin' up won't get you anywhere, sweetheart," he grumbled and whipped his head back around to look at her in confusion as she laughed again.

"What's so funny?" He demanded, getting up from the sill and stepping forward, resembling a pouting child.

She smiled at him, that smile that had been aimed only for him as of late. The one where her eyes danced and a dimple showed slightly on her left cheek. He felt those damn rabbits in his stomach again and he frowned.

"Nothing. You just make me laugh when you get all huffed up like that. It's cute," she said. She moved her arm and tried to push herself up into a more comfortable position but instantly gave a little cry of pain, her ribs protesting painfully.

Suddenly, he was there, one hand on her back and the other on her stomach.

"Easy. Yer gonna re-break those flimsy bones a' yours," he said, his voice quiet as he moved her up, his touch light and painless.

"Thank you," she managed to whisper, her hand on his forearm, the muscle beneath it feeling like smooth stone. Shyly and almost afraid, she raised her sea foam eyes to his face and froze. Bright green eyes were locked on hers and for a few long moments, they stayed that way, his hands on her back and stomach, hers on his arm.

At this distance, she could see the small shades of green as the moon danced over his skin, highlighting the muscled arms and tensed frame. Raphael could see the different shades of blonde in her hair, gold and white and light orange. He could see the fine details of her face, her lips, her eyes.

Something happened then. A snap in the cords of fate. Like a painful jolt of electricity, they both tensed and Raphael slowly backed away, his heart hammering beneath his plastron, a terrible heat running through him.

Sarina sat as still as marble, watching the creature in front of her. Her pulse was roaring in her ears and there was an uncomfortable sensation on her cheeks. The radio seemed ludicrously loud suddenly.

"_..In my head there's only you now, this world falls on me. And in this world there's real and make-believe and this seems real to me.."_

He drew a ragged breath, suddenly needing air.

"I..I have ta go..." he said, turning and making his way quickly to the window. His foot was on the sill, poised to jump, when she called his name. Against his better judgment, his rationality, he turned to looked at her.

She sat there, bathed in moonlight, her eyes holding a different light now.

"You'll come back? Right?"

He wouldn't. He knew that he couldn't come back because there was no way in hell that this would end well.

"Yeah. I'll be back. Soon." He said quietly, meaning every damn word.


	5. Chapter 5

_**/AN: to The Guy Upstairs To The Left, I want to thank you for your constant reviewing and your genuine curiosity of the story. It means a lot. Also, a note to the readers, I realize Raphael is cold-blooded but the heat Sarina and him feel is more of an emotional/psychological thing. Basically, it's symbolic. Anyway, sorry for the wait; I hope you enjoy the chapter :)/**_

The nights went on, rolling into one another and the mutated teen still hadn't shown up. Sarina felt emptiness at the pit of her stomach every time the sun rose with no sign of him.

Had he just been an illusion her medicated mind had made up? She hadn't thought she had been that drugged up but then again, they always gave her a rainbow of pain pills.

They hadn't known each other that long, or that well, but she'd felt like he was the only thing even close to a true friend. One that wasn't made to hang out with her, smile and coo over her, then say things behind her back. The blonde had never really had any "real" friends, none that liked her for her and not her status.

She'd never really let it bother her until she'd met Raphael, someone who came to check on her every night without any real reason besides just wanting to talk with her, be around her. After that, her suffocated loneliness came to the forefront, slamming into her chest like an iron bar. She'd begun to look to Raphael as a sort of tourniquet; another pain-killer that erased the feeling for a few hours.

Now that he wasn't here, it grew and grew. But she didn't give into her thoughts, those destructive thoughts.

Only two people had come to visit her. One was her "best friend", Jennifer, a brunette with a permanent tan and a penchant for tight and revealing clothes. Her father owned a large chain of banks that had roots all over the country and even popped up in a few countries that weren't ours. Jennifer was nice enough to Sarina, possessive over the title she'd earned from putting so much time and attention into the quiet girl.

Jennifer hungered for the attention, the fame, that came with being with another of New York's Elite. Sarina supposed the girl might like her somewhat but she knew that half the time, Jennifer just tuned her out and agreed with her. The brunette was too wrapped up in guys and partying to care about Sarina's plans for college and a future.

"Who needs school when we have money, Rina? Seriously." Jennifer always scoffed, looking at the blonde like she was stupid.

The other person that had visited was Jake Arlon, a rich boy who went to the same school as her and seemed to have deemed himself her boyfriend. He was tan and blonde and had the fake California accent. She knew he'd never stepped foot on the coast. Sarina didn't truly know why she had let him claim the title of boyfriend. Maybe it was because she knew that Jake was the boy she would end up marrying.

It wasn't that she loved him; she didn't. She was fairly sure she had no feelings at all for Jake. He was too plastic, too faded for her taste. But he kept her cold, unfeeling. She could easily plaster on a smile around him, taking on the look she'd been taught from her mother. Cool, calm and untouchable.

Jake couldn't touch her, couldn't break through the icy shell she'd seemed to be born with.

Her mind wandering,, she only remembered one time that she'd felt anything but her comforting cold.

The night Raphael had touched her. That uncomfortable warmth, unwelcome heat. Sarina had been terrified when that alien feeling had washed over her. It was too much, too foreign. Too against what she was. She was sure he had hated it just as much as her, the way he had jerked away from her like she was poison.

Then why had she felt the panic afterward? Was it from the loss of touch? Of that unbearable heat? Of Raphael? No. No, that was stupid; impossible. It was probably just because she was afraid she'd lost her one and only friend.

And, to her, she had. He'd abandoned her. She hadn't been completely used too his appearance would never admit to herself that she was grateful he'd stayed to the shadows. His appearance frightened her, repulsed her. But she had admired the deep green of his skin. And those eyes, they seemed supernatural and strangely beautiful. His smile was also kind of nice...

_Stop it, Sarina. Stop it now, _she mentally scolded herself, her brows creasing as she looked down at the hospital blanket. She wouldn't be here much longer and she hoped more than anything that he would come back before she left.

"I think I'm gonna puke, Raph," Casey groaned, stumbling into a standing position, crushed metal beer cans scattering ass his feet hit them. Raphael was leaning against the brick wall of the building connected with the roof they were on. Casey had managed to sneak out a few six packs from his uncle's, said uncle having passed out.

The two had settled on the roof of an abandoned building on the poorer sign of town. Hours had passed and so had the cans. This was Raph's first time drinking alcohol and while he loved the warm feeling that had spread throughout his body, he wasn't so sure about the taste.

Crushing the can he'd just drained, the red-banded teen snorted at his friend's stumbling, tossing the can among the others with a sour look on his face.

"This stuff tastes like warm piss, Case. Couldn't you have gotten somethin' better?" he grumbled, closing his eyes and tipping his head back. He felt like he was on fire, his body ridiculously warm. He opened his eyes slowly and leveled them (tried to, anyway) on his friend.

"Yo, Case, I have somethin' to tell ya," he said, moving over to sling his arm around the boy's shoulders.

The dark-haired boy managed to get his gag reflexes under control and grinned at his friend.

"And what's that, Raph? Finally admitting you've been in the closet all these years? Cause I gotta tell ya, I don't feel the same way, man."

"You fuckin' wish. Nah, I met this chick, Case. A real pretty one. Beautiful face, gorgeous body and I honestly think she likes me. I mean, she's always complimentin' me and sayin' shit like "You're a beautiful person, Raph" or "I'm glad you came ta see me"," he slurred, the world tilting slightly, making most of his weight transfer to Casey, who in turn nearly crashed both of them.

Once they had regained balance, Casey nodded.

"Oh yeah. I mean, that's what Red says to me and we all know that she's only got eyes for me," he said, puffing out his skinny chest, smiling a triumphant grin, his two front teeth MIA. Raph nodded, a grin spreading over his face.

For the past few nights he had avoided the hospital, wanting to push the girl as far away from him as he could. But now, standing on a random roof with his best friend as the alcohol coursed through him, he decided that it was time to go see his girl again. He snorted to himself as he told Casey his plan and began making his way to the hospital. His girl.

"Hey, babe, hey. Wake up. I didn't come all the way 'ere ta watch ya sleep."

Sarina stirred from her sleeping position on her side, an awful smell reaching her nose as her eyes opened at Raphael's voice. She froze, subconsciously sinking in on herself, staring up at him with wide eyes. The turtle was extremely close to her.

He sat on the bed, his thigh against her backside and his arms on either side of her shoulders. His face loomed over hers.

God, those eyes! They burned unnaturally bright as he grinned at her. For a moment, all she noticed was him. Then the smell of alcohol made itself noticeable again. She was about to speak when his rough three-fingered hand came up to cup her cheek.

Heat. So much, radiating from his hand and spreading across her face and body.

"Ya know, you're...beautiful. Delicate and shit," he whispered hoarsely, his bright eyes roaming over her features.

"A-are you drunk, Raphael?" she squeaked out, trying to move him away without actually making any skin-to-skin contact.

He laughed then and shook his head.

"Nah, just a litl' buzzed. Why? Worried I'll do somethin'?" He asked, a shit-eating grin on his face, making him look dangerous and causing the blonde's face to go an unattractive red. Danger was not something Sarina was acquainted with. She had always took the known road, the safe one. Somehow, she highly doubted anything about Raphael could be considered "safe" right now.

Sarina stayed silent, just looking up at him. She was suddenly hyper-aware of his body touching hers, of his closeness, the damn heat that was radiating off of him.

He watched her for a moment, his green eyes half-lidded as his smile slowly slipped off his face. He sighed and moved his hand to her hair before touching his forehead to hers.

"Don't be scared; I ain't gonna hurt ya. I jus'...I jus' missed you. I'm sorry I didn't come back for so long," he said, his voice muffled, his breath hot against her lower face and neck. The silence lingered as they stayed that way, until he broke it.

"I knew I shouldn't have come here after the wreck, but I did anyway. I knew I shouldn't have talked to ya, gotten to know ya, but I did anyway. And I sure as hell knew I shouldn't have ever touched you but looks like I fucked that up too," he grumbled, sadness and regret in his voice as his shoulders slumped, his forehead slipping down to the nook of her neck.

Her skin was so cool to his own feverish flesh, like ice to a wound. She smelled nice too.

Sarina didn't move for a long time, letting what he'd just said and unknowingly revealed sink in. Slowly and with great hesitation, she raised her arms to wrap loosely around him. She wasn't sure if he could even feel it, but she ran her hand gently over his shell in soothing motions, the hard surface feeling unnaturally cool beneath her fingertips. Whether drunk or not, he was still her friend and, for the first time, she felt the need to comfort her friend.

"It's OK," she whispered, her voice barely there, "It's alright. I'm glad you came. I'm glad you decided that I was worth getting to know. You...you're my only friend, Raphael."

She felt his smile. He sighed and stayed quiet, the faint vibration from her rubbing his shell soothed him.

They didn't talk much the rest of the night. He ended up curled up against her side like a child needing comfort, her arms stuck around him. The heat that exuded from him overwhelmed her, making her break a sweat, but she endured, lending what little comfort she could to him.

Coming here, seeing her, was painful and extremely dangerous for him. He was putting himself in harm's way every time he decided to sneak to her window. She hadn't really thought about it until now. He was risking a lot just to see her.

The morning sun's rays shone in through the window, bathing them in red and gold. Raphael's buzz had worn off long ago. He knew from her breathing that Sarina was asleep, her arms still around him, her hand loosely gripping his shell.

His heart would have pounded in his chest if it hadn't already been doing it. He moved his face, nuzzling her neck slightly before pulling away. Looking down at her, small fingers gripping his own weakly, he knew he was fucked.

Having no idea how she felt, he knew that he was now in the same category as Donnie. Maybe if he hadn't have been drinking, if he hadn't blurted everything out to Casey, he might have saved himself. He might have been able to go home and continue with his process of forgetting about her.

But he hadn't.

And now, there was a whole new sack of worries on his back as he made his way out of the hospital and down to his sewer home.


	6. Chapter 6

Sarina pushed back her hair, her eyes moving around the hospital room. She was being released today and, with the flowers gone and her things all packed up, the room looked miserably bare. The girl was happy though, as she hefted her small carrying case up her shoulder, yet she felt a mild panic in her heart.

This room was where she'd spent her nights with Raphael while unable to leave. Would he come in time to find the small note she wedged near the windowsill? Would it be the same? Their friendship? Outside of those four pale blue walls, in the world that Sarina was born into, a world that had no place for people like Raphael, would they still be able to be friends?

Sarina frowned as she felt a tug at her heart. Worry. When was the last time she worried, aside from the moment before the crash? The blond shook her head softly as the knock at her door sounded. One of her father's men, she didn't even bother trying to remember this one's name seeing as he obviously didn't care anymore than she did, jerked his head towards the entrance. It was time. Time to go back home.

Tossing a glance back at the letter on the unlocked windowsill ledge, she moved to the door and closed it. She felt a strange wind pass her as she stepped out. The telling of something about to begin.

* * *

Raphael sat perched on the windowsill, letter in hand as he looked into the empty room, melancholic. It seemed wrong without her here. But the letter, short and sweet, told him what was happening. Told him where she was. A large house with granite pillars near the strip Strip. He knew where it was; it wasn't too far from the place where Donnie and Raph had pulled her from the wreck.

The night breeze blew in, a slight unnatural chill to the July air, curling around his skin as he watched the people move around below him. They were eager to get home or rushing to work, not realizing that a creature unknown to nearly everyone loomed over them. How would they react if they saw him? Would they all shun him? Would a few accept and stand for him?

Raphael lifted his green gaze to the horizon, the lights from the city leaving the sky a velvet blue, blurring out the stars. Sarina was out there, in her world, waiting for him hopefully. The letter looked like it had been wrote in haste. Would his friend still want him? He rubbed his forehead before slipping silently down the side of the building.

Sarina wasn't too surprised when she came home to an empty house. It was actually a bit relaxing knowing that she didn't have to deal with her father's accusing stare just yet. A small stream of electricity hummed through her body, a small wave of nervous excitement fluttering in her stomach.

Quickly, the blonde moved up the curved staircase, sprinting down the hall to her bedroom. It was 7:36 now. She told Raph to wait till 8 before he showed up to make sure that she was home. She dropped her bag and walked over to the balcony doors, unlocking them and peeking around the curtains. No sign or the reptilian teen.

Walking around her room, she caught sight of her reflection in the mirror and instantly moved to fix her messy curls. Her eyes roamed from her hair to her clothes. Within moments, she was out of her plain over-sized blue button up and sweats. The 17-year-old now wore a soft blue off the shoulder blouse and faded blue jeans, her feet bare and gold circlets laying softly on her pale shoulders.

She checked herself one more time in the mirror before mentally questioning her actions. Why would she care what she wore when Raphael showed up? Well, because they were friends...friends didn't want to look sloppy in front of friends, right?

Moving to the balcony doors, she opened them wide and moved to sit on one of the red and silver patio chairs, the sound of the cars on the road fading to almost nothing as the night creatures made their musical calls from her garden beneath her balcony. Sitting there, in the moonlight, she waited.

* * *

"_...then look for me by moonlight,_

_watch for me by moonlight,_

_I'll come to thee by moonlight,_

_though Hell should bar the way." _

The shadows didn't even move as the ninja slipped through them, much too agile and limber for someone of his bulk. The 15 foot stone wall that loomed in front of him proved no challenge. He was over it and slipping through the shadowed garden before the flood lights even turned on. Lime hues turned skyward, reaching their destination and locking on.

The girl sat, bathed in moonlight, looking like a phantom from another time. A small smile curved his lips as he gripped the ruts in the wall and made his way up to her.

Sarina visibly jumped, a loud yelp escaping her, when Raphael suddenly pulled himself up over the balcony railing. A smirk lit his face.

"Didn't mean to scare ya, Juliet," he said, sarcasm lacing his voice as he sat on the railing, his green eyes dancing as they watched her.

"Juliet, am I? No offense but I'm not a real big Romeo fan," she said, trying to regain some of her composure with a smile.

"Good 'cause I'm no Romeo," he stated, moving one of his Sais free to twirl it absent-mindedly as his eyes moved to the opening that led into her room, roaming over things that he could make out in the darkness. Sarina watched him quietly, wanting him to say something but not entirely sure what it was she wanted him to say.

The silence lingered as he got up and stretched.

"Wanna go for a walk? Or some free running?"

The question came out of nowhere but she almost too readily agreed, jumping up and hurrying into her room to slip her track shoes on. Raph watched her with a smile, her enthusiasm washing over him. He wandered into the room and his eyes fell to a small silver picture frame. The picture was of Sarina and a tall, tan and handsome blonde guy a few years older than Raphael. The guy wore expensive looking clothes, his hair perfectly tossed and his smile nearly blinding. His arm was around Sarina's waist, the girl smiling out from the picture. While jealousy ate at his stomach, Raphael took joy in knowing that smile was fake. He'd seen Sarina's smile and that was just a sad paste-on.

"Who's the tool?" the red-banded teen asked, jerking his head towards the picture as he glanced over at her. Sarina finished tying her shoes and stood up, looking over at the picture and shrugging.

"He's the guy my parents want me to end up with," she stated dully, her eyes falling to her clothes as she brushed away non-existent lent.

"You like him?" Raphael grunted, his head down as he leaned coolly against the side of her vanity, trying to keep a cool exterior as he looked at her from beneath a lowered brow. The blonde looked up at him, her soft, pale green eyes locking on his neon ones. Something passed over her face, something that made Raphael's heart jump.

"I don't...but I'm expected to be with him...it only makes sense to my parents..." she answered, her voice low.

"Then let your parents be with him," he said, a bright smile lighting his face, more than happy with her answer about her feelings. She didn't like that douche-lord in the picture and that, well that made Raphael quite happy. He straightened and walked over to meet her on the balcony again. He turned so that his shell was too her, kneeling down slightly.

"Climb on," he said, grinning over his shoulder at her.

Sarina just blinked at him for a moment, trying to figure out just how this was going to work. It wasn't like a normal back, it was a shell. How the hell was she supposed to get a hold on...

"How do I...?"

"Jus' climb on and wrap around me. Donnie does this with April all the time," he blurted. Sarina raised an eyebrow. Didn't she know someone named April...?

"Who's April?"

"Erm, s-some girl my brother likes. No, c'mon, we ain't got all night, Princess."

With a huff of indignation, the blonde moved to get on his shell, gripping his shoulders and pushing herself up, her legs wrapping around his shell, feet hooking on the inside rim as her hands held firmly still to his shoulders.

Inwardly, she noticed how hard the muscle was beneath her hands, like smooth rocks that moved fluid-like under the skin as he climbed up onto the railing.

That was about where Sarina lost her cool.

"Woah, woah, what are yo-EEEEAAAAAHHH!" Her shriek rang out in the night as he launched for the wall the surrounded her home. The turtle laughed loudly, never stopping as he jumped from the wall to the nearest fire escape. Another scream.

"What? You scared, sweetheart?" He asked, his signature shit-eating grin flashed at he as he started moving up the escape with ease. Her arms moved around his neck, holding on for dear life, her face next to his as she looked down at the ground quickly growing.

"Little bit, yeah," she croaked, burying her face in the nook of his neck as he climbed, sending shivers down the ninja's spine.

They went on like that for a while, Raphael scaling the buildings and jumping from roof to roof, Sarina's cries turning into laughter as she began to trust her companion more and more. The night sped by them as they sped by the city. The heat overwhelmed Sarina to the point that the ice around her melted away and for the first time since she was a child, she was laughing loudly and not caring, focusing solely on herself and Rahael. The stopped on the roof of a small pizza shop long enough for Sarina to climb down and order a medium pepperoni pizza and some cheesy bread-sticks. They ate on the roof, Sarina opening up more, letting him know about her cold and lonely childhood and how she grew to just not care about anything. It was better to cover everything, to not feel, she had said.

Raphael listened and talked about his own family, his brothers and his Sensei. He knew he was taking a risk, but he doubted that Sarina would tell anyone. He felt something different about her, something he felt around April. A safety. A comradeship.

"A rat? Seriously? That's sad about what happened to his family.."Sarina commented as she thoughtfully chewed a piece of pepperoni. Raphael nodded, finishing off his soda and forced himself not to belch like he would have done around April and his brothers.

"Yeah, but he doesn't let it bother him. I mean, it bothers him, ya know? But he doesn't have a gigantic chip on his shoulder."

"Well, that's good. And he has four amazing sons now," she said, nudging his side with her elbow. Raph snorted and flicked a half-eaten bread-stick at her. The blonde's reflexes where better than he thought, because with a flick of her hand, the bread-stick did a turn around and smacked against his forehead. The turtle's cheeks went a shade of purple and he threw the rest of his pizza on the ground before jumping up, a determined look in his eyes. A wide grin cracked Sarina's mouth and she jumped up, running for her life across the roof as the teen chased her. A few minutes later and she was caught, unable to break out of his hold as he rubbed a bread-stick on her forehead, her laughter echoing through the night among the street sounds.

"Yeah, you like that? Didn't think so. You gonna apologize now or do I need to exchange the bread-stick for a slice of pizza? Huh?" Raphael asked, a grin still on his face as he watched the girl squirm, unable to catch her breath from laughing.

"No, stop! Please, ahaha, s-stop!" She cried, her arms trapped between her and his plastron, only allowing her to wave her hands feebly at his chin.

"Nope, not until you admit I'm awesome," he said, raising his face to avoid the tips of her fingers.

"Fine, fine! You're awesome, you stupid turtle!" She exclaimed, finally opening her eyes to look up at him. Instantly, they both felt that change. Another snap of Fate. He could only see her, the streetlights on her hair and wet orbs, her pale pink mouth. Their hearts instantly stopped before beginning to pound in unison.

Before Sarina could stop herself, she lifted her lips to his in a barely there kiss. Raphael's whole body tightened and he couldn't move for a moment. Was this really happening? When his brain finally registered what was happening, his large hand came up to cup her face.

She trembled against him, his arm never loosening as she gripped the front of his plastron. His lips were rougher than human lips, his mouth wider than hers but they seemed to fit somehow. She couldn't believe she was really doing this. It was so out of character for her; so lacking control. But she burned against him. Was this what it felt like for the teens in all those movies she watched? For Elizabeth Bennett when she kissed Mr. Darcy? Her mind fluttered and she didn't resist when Raphael moved to deepen the kiss, his motions unsure as she knew this was all undiscovered territory for him. They stood there, locked together, pizza long forgotten.

On the roof next to them, three stunned forms watched on in shock.

* * *

"Who would've thought that Raph would be the first of us to score...Man, Donnie, you've got to step up your game."

"Shut up, Mikey."

"Guys, stop."

"Well, what do we do, Leo?"

"I don't know, Mikey...I don't know."


	7. Chapter 7

Raphael sighed, trying to keep his attention on the TV as he flipped through the channels, growing ever more irritated with each passing moment. Every since the night that Sarina had kissed him, his brothers had acted weird around him. Really weird. He let his hand and the remote flop onto the couch cushion beside his leg, annoyance riding his features as his eyes turned into slits, green orbs sliding over to look at the orange-banded turtle beside him.

With his knees tucked under his chin, a goofy grin on his face, he watched his brother silently. Michelangelo struggled with what he wanted to say. After seeing Raph with the babe, Leo had instructed them not to mention it to anyone, especially not Splinter, until he could figure out what to do with this mess that, once again, Raphael had gotten them into.

The older brother looked at the younger one for a bit, unnerved by that stupid grin.

"Aight, I give up. Whaddaya want, Mikey? I'm not playing yer stupid games with you, today," Raphael grunted at the younger turtle.

"Oooh, nothiiiiinnnnggg. Just wanted you to know that you're like THE COOLEST BROTHER EVER!" Mikey shot up from the cushion, arms in the air and face lit up in brotherly admiration.

Slightly frightened, Raph found himself leaning away as he looked up at Mikey like he were an alien.

"The hell are ya blubbering about, Mike?"

From his seat at the creaky kitchen table, Donatello's dark eyes rose from the locator capsule he was working on to intently watch the younger turtle. He had a bad feeling that Mikey was going to spill the beans on the damn secret of _them_ knowing about _Raph's_ secret. Putting down his screwdriver, he turned in his seat to face the two, crossing his lanky arms and cocking his head.

"Yes, Mikey, do tell us why Raph is so cool?" Donnie asked, eyes narrowed dangerously.

Mikey froze, but only for a moment before breaking out in a grin. He plopped down again next to Raph.

"Ok, Raph, if I were to, you know, meet a girl, a total babe, how should I approach her? Do girls like rude guys like you? Because I've watched Leo and Donnie long enough to know that spouting math equations at girls doesn't exactly get their attention."

"Hey! I'll have you know a lot of women like intelligent men! And I don't spout mathematical equations!"

Raphael didn't know whether to be insulted or smug. But then again, he had no idea where all this was coming from, and why Donatello was glaring daggers at Mikey.

"Well, uh, I dunno. I mean, I haven't exactly had a lot a practice, Mike."

"Oh, c'mon! I know yo-mmmffff!"

A throw pillow suddenly filled Mikey's big mouth as Donnie stepped over the back of the couch and settled himself between his two brothers.

Infuriated and pouting, Mike ripped the drool-drenched pillow from his mouth and stomped off, mumbling something about the two not being any fun. Raphael watched after him for a moment before moving his suspicious green gaze to Donnie.

"What the hell was that all about?"

"Hm? Oh, nothing. Mikey's been watching too many RomComs is all," Donnie said, clearing his throat before suddenly becoming very interested in the TV. Raphael just looked at him for a while, eyes squinted, before shaking his head and getting up.

"Hey, Raph?" Don's voice called out softly from behind him. He turned, a brow ridge raised.

"Yeah, Don?"

"You'd tell me if you were in trouble? In over your head? Right?"

"...Yeah, Don."

The red-banded turtle continued into the dojo then, eyes dark. He hated lying to Don. But hey, he wasn't in trouble and what Donnie didn't know wouldn't hurt him.

WINDSOR ESTATE – 9:17 PM

The wind that night was warm, but stronger with the threat of the storm that was moving into the city. The stars were blacked out, the trees twisting violently towards the velvet sky. Outside of the Windsor home, all the lights were out except for the one on the third floor. The girl was there.

From his perch, he watched her move about her room, doing small things here and there as she rearranged it. He knew Raphael wouldn't be there for another hour. Slipping quietly through the darkness, he made his way onto the marble railing, cloaked in night. Thunder rumbled loudly through the sky, an introduction to the warm raindrops that began to fall. They drizzled over his skin and the railing as he watched her glance out of the glass balcony doors upon hearing the thunder. She didn't see him. In his still form, in the complete darkness, even being within ten feet of her, he was just part of the night.

The girl shook out her blonde curls before gathering them up into a high bun on the top of her head, small ringlets escaping here and there. She looked back up at the night sky before smiling slightly and moving to shut her bedroom light off. Suddenly drenched in darkness, his eyes adjusted to find her outline as she moved over to the nightstand and lit a taper candle. The candle was picked up and moved to the table by the balcony doors. She then reached up and swung the doors open wide, a routine she did every night to let Raph know that it was safe to come. He knew this. He'd seen it the few times he'd followed the red-masked turtle.

Her scent wafted out like a wave, patchouli and honey and vanilla, as she stepped out, the rain mixing with it to remind him of a beach caught in a spring storm. The blonde opened the small umbrella she held and, not paying an ounce of attention, moved to the middle of the balcony, focusing on avoiding the rain.

She only saw him when the lightning flashed, the masculine outline of body and shell. And she smiled. The area lit up again and her smile slowly fell. The band wasn't red, it was blue. The figure wasn't as bulky and two sword handles adorned the top part of his outline gave it away. No neon green eyes met hers, instead they seemed black in the night. Where Raphael brought heat, this one brought was she'd only recently escaped from; a freezing cold that knocked the air from her chest, drowning her in the recently melted warm waters of her own self.

This one brought the promise of danger. This wasn't Raphael.

Leonardo stayed silent, willing her to stay still and not scream. He slid slowly off the railing and stood in front of her, straight and rigid, not showing any emotion. He was only going to talk to her. Ask her to leave his brother alone. Beg her to not saying anything. Shake her up a bit if necessary. He refused to watch his brothers be hurt by human women anymore.

He didn't expect the scream of pure terror that ripped itself out of her, making his own chest blossom in fear. This was bad. If someone heard her...

The shocked Leader reacted on pure instinct, lunging forward and gluing his hand over her mouth, his other arm trying to hold onto her as she thrashed violently against him. This was so bad. So not how he'd seen the situation playing out in his head.

"Shhh. Shh, seriously, I'm not going to hurt you! Please, stop screaming!" He hissed, the rain soaking both of them as he tried to keep control of the thrashing woman that reminded him hugely of the storm that was raging over them.

OUTSIDE WINDSOR ESTATE- 9:29 PM

The storm was nothing to Raph as he closed the distance between himself and Sarina's house. He'd used the excuse that he was going to see a movie and manage to get out of the lair an hour early. About halfway to Sarina's he began to feel a strange panic in his chest, like his heart was going to just drop out any minute. Instinct told him to run. And he had. Faster than ever. Then he'd heard her scream.

As he mounted the wall to her estate, his pounding heart stopped. On the balcony, he saw the figure of Sarina struggling against someone much bigger as the person tried to wrestle her into submission.

Raphael roared, with his voice and his soul, shaking the surroundings around him as he let the primal rage run through him like Speed. He couldn't focus on anything, nothing but breaking every bone in that man's body into bone meal.

In a blur of motion, he was on the balcony, strong arms wrapping around the man before flinging him across the area. The strange man smashed into railing, the sound of stone cracking ringing through the night as a wave of thunder rumbled overhead.

Raph couldn't speak as he took an instance fighting stance in front of Sarina, the girl a shocked and shaken puddle on the ground, wide eyes locked onto Raphael. He was rage and wrath and fury in all its disastrous beauty. Silver flashed in the night as the teen brought out his Sais. His opponent groaned and slowly rose in the darkness.

Raphael growled, inhuman and frightening. The figure spoke then.

"Raph, stop, it's me," it said and through the red haze, one word came to Raphael's mind:

Leonardo.

SEWER LAIR - 9:30 PM

"Mikey, where's Leo?"

"Umm...sameplaceRaphis. Do I smell cookies?"

"What? Woah, sit back down. _What_ did you just say?"

"About the cookies?"

"No, Mikey! You know what I'm asking. Repeat it. Where is Leo at?"

"Well, dude, I don't know. Leo goes a lot of places... I mean he could be hiding out in the dojo, up top free running, interrogating Raph's girlfriend, picking up some pizza f-"

"WHAT?! Please, _please, _tell me you did not just say he was at Raph's girlfriend's!"

"Don, chill! Leo said he had an hour before Raph left. He'll be back before the Raph even starts getting ready to "hang out with Casey.""

"No, he doesn't! Raphael just _left! _ We all know he's not going to see a movie! God-Mikey, get your gear. We have to go. Now!"

The rain sliced through the distance between the two brothers. One, favoring his right arm, the arm that had cushioned the blow from the stone rail. The other crouched in a fighting stance, muscles tight and coiled, ready to pounce as he struggled to bring his rage down at least a little.

Raphael was still trying to figure out why Leo was here. How did he find Sarina? How did he even fucking know about her? At this point, he knew that Leo could only be here for one reason.

The rain blurred his vision, forcing him to swipe at his eyes, pulling out of the stance and turning to kneel in front of Sarina. The girl's hair and clothes were soaked, her ponytail sticking to the back of her neck. She was paler than normal, fright and the embers of anger still lingering in her gaze as her eyes met his. Raphael cupped her face, bringing his face close to her own.

"Are ya OK? Did he hurt you?" He whispered hoarsely, eyes roaming over her face as he looked for any signs of bruising.

"N-no. He didn't hurt me. Scared me more than anything," she replied in an equally rough whisper, her hand coming up to lay over his as she leaned into his rough green palm, her eyes closing in relief. Raphael's heart thumped and the teen brought his mouth down to hers for a few small, sweet kisses, his shell blocking them from Leo's view.

"God, babe, I was really freakin' scared there for a second," he said, planting a kiss to her forehead. The blonde pulled back, her green eyes warm as she gave a small but true smile to the young man kneeling before her.

"I'm fine, Raphael. You saved me. Now, go talk to your brother. I'm going to go in and change into some dry clothes."

Said blonde clamored up off the ground and, shivering slightly, made her way into her room and then out into the hall.

Once she was gone, the red-banded turtle turned to face his brother, his features going dark again. The thunder rolled and Leo met Raph's gaze as an equal.

"Wanna tell me what yer doin' here, Leo?" Raphael tipped his head slightly, his Sais still gripped in his hands.

"You first," the eldest brother said, trying not to show exactly how much pain his shoulder was in. He couldn't move his arm at all and it was beginning to worry him. He'd never seen Raphael react like that, with that strength and level of ferocity.

"I'm pretty sure ya know why I'm here. I can't think of any other reason why you would consider my...girlfriend," that word still felt strange, "worthy of yer presence, Fearless."

"Raph, I'm not here to fight. I was going to ask her to stay away. This is dangerous, Raph! Do you know who her father is? He's the Senator for New York! You give me grief all the time about my choice in women but you," he scoffed, "you really like the dangerous side, don't you?"

Raphael rolled his eyes, the tension between the two growing.

"You ain't tellin' me nothin' I didn't already know, Leo. But you don't know her. Sarina is NOTHING like Karai! She would never do to me what you let that traitor do to you," he spat, his sais twirling slowly at his side as the two begin to circle each other. Leo glared at his brother.

"Typical Raphael. Hitting at old wounds. I came here to help you! This never ends well for us! You've seen it! You've watched April pull Donnie around before finally choosing Casey. You've seen how hard it is for me to be around Karai knowing that she used me. Cut your ties now, Raph. You have family to think of. Did you ever so much as wonder what will happen if you break up with her? If she leaves you? She knows too much thanks to your big mouth!"

That was it. Raphael had enough. Leonardo had ridden his ass for nearly three months and then has the balls to come here and try to talk Sarina into leaving him.

"What the hell kinda brother tries to take away the one thing that's makin' me happy?" The red-masked turtle said, looking hard into Leo's eyes. The older turtle stopped, guilt building in his stomach. Why couldn't Raph see that Leo _was_ thinking about his little brother's happiness? The brothers didn't have luck in this area. It would only end badly for the hot-headed turtle. The rain died off to a sputter of droplets.

"Raph, I don't wan-"

"Enough talk!"

Raph was done. Actions always spoke louder than words anyway.


	8. Chapter 8

**/Whoo, boy, are you guys in for it with this chapter. **

**Alright, this is a long needed Authors Note. I intend to make my turtles live through every movie/every show that I can. Not sure that makes sense...Look, when I started writing this fic, I never expected it to be anymore than a one shot with a few reviews. I am beyond happy and humbled for even the meager attention it's received. Since I have expanded it, I wanted to say that I'm writing Raphael now as NickVerse, a year after their 15th Mutation Day. He's seen things by this time, felt pain and fear in this time between, making him slightly darker and helping me along the way as I try to transition him into the 2003 version (when he's about 17-18) and then the TMNT 2007 (age 18-19) movie version (including Leo's absence and some cameos with the Nightwatcher) before wrapping him up as a man at the wonderful age of 24. **

** Throughout the story, you will find that more and more, the turtles will grow into the Mirage-esque turtles. They'll be darker and more realistic (which means that when they fight, it's Kill or be Killed, if you get what I'm saying). The Foot clan are not robots, the Shredder will perish and there will be violence and blood along with the softer parts of the romance. Sarina will grow too, from the slender teen with awkward tendencies into a full formed, intelligent young woman but you guys already know that. I guess what I was trying to do was let you guys know where my thoughts are at in this. **

** Also, the other thing I'd like to discuss is something that's either loved or hated in the genre: sex scenes. Although I do plan on Raph and Sarina consummating their relationship, I do NOT plan on it happening soon. They're too young and just getting to know each other. Way too soon. Anyway, I just wanted to warn you that it will come up eventually and I will forewarn you at the beginning of the chapter it happens in so you can go ahead and skip over it if it makes you uncomfy. **

** One last thing, and this is going to ruffle some feathers, but the new TMNT movie with Micheal Bay directing... I'm just fucking happy that I get to see something new with the turtles in it. But, those guys don't look like teenagers in the least. Adult Raph, near the end of the story, in my mind, will be about the same size as Bay's. I don't believe that just because they're turtles means they have to be short. I want Raph to be the brawn. Big. A force of nature physically. I'm really sorry if this bothers anyone.**

** Anyway, here's the next chapter. Enjoy**

** PS. I've decided to put a sneak peek section up of my Leonardo story that will be coming up after I finish Raph and Sarina's. I really hope you guys like it but whether you do or don't, feel free to critique./**

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When you lose a friend, it becomes one of the most tragic moments of your life. A friend is your connection to something like you, someone who you vibe with on a different level. They become your confidant, your healer and partner in crime.

And when that falls apart? Well, it can ruin the two people, their relationship.

When Raphael was fifteen, in attempt to help him understand why his anger was dangerous, Splinter had ordered the boys to shoot suction-cup arrows at Raphael and instructed the red-banded turtle to dodge said arrows. The teen had dodged them with eerie precision and an inflated ego. Splinter ordered a second round, but for the boys to insult Raph while he tried to miss the arrows. They did so.

The first insult that came from Michelangelo didn't bother Raphael. Much.

What got to him was Leo.

"You're always whining. _Poor me. Nobody understands me_."

Raphael felt his walls come up, his head snapping around to look at Leonardo. Was he serious?

"'Cause you don't-oof!"

An arrow hit the middle of his shell.

Donatello and Michelangelo burst into laughter, deciding to ride on Leo's coattails and make similar jabs.

"You're ugly!"

"And gassy!"

The arrows kept hitting, his anger rising in him to cover the humiliation as he whirled around, trying his damnedest to not lurch out and pummel the first brother he grabbed. Then Leonardo spoke up again. Maybe he was only honestly playing. Or maybe he was drunk off the moment of finally being able to tell Raphael what he'd been wanting to tell him every time his brother disobeyed an order and then got mad because of the poor outcome. Either way, his words seemed to sting Raphael the most.

"Oh, you act all tough on the outside, but on the inside you're just a big baby," Leo cooed, his voice an annoying whine.

"Ha! Who needs his bottle!"

"And his diaper changed!"

Raphael's world was spinning, a twisting feeling in his gut as his humility and embarrassment grew. His anger flourished like a monsoon in the electric atmosphere, roaring in his ears and sending waves of heat down his body. Why was Leo acting like this? Sure, he expected it from Donnie and Mikey, sometimes, but not Leo..

"What's the matter, Raph? Gonna cry?" Leo chided, earning loud laughs from the two younger siblings.

"I'm not gonna cry!" The red turtle snapped, the volume of his voice rising drastically. He wasn't even there at that moment. His vision was red. He was being publicly humiliated by the one brother he actually looked up too. Did Leo despise him so much that he would willingly poke at Raph's weak spots? Why wasn't Sensai stopping this?

The arrows had kept hitting him, his brothers laughter ringing out through the lair. One hit his temple and his head began to swim as he fought his way through the anger that was raging in his body. Another hit the other temple. He swayed as he fought against the hits, the inward pain, the stupid fucking plastic arrows that kept sticking to his shell and face.

He hadn't realized he'd fallen until he hit the ground, only one face coming into his line of sight. Leonardo. The one he'd looked up too even if he hadn't said it. This was his fault. Raph pushed himself back up and threw his sais down hard against the dojo floor, through with the game.

He never looked at Leo once as he walked to Sensai. The embarrassment...He was done with Leo. And he sure as hell wasn't going to be that admiring little brother anymore.

That memory sat at the back of his mind as he ran at that same brother, older now. More solid, the walls that only Sarina had managed to climb making a barrier around him, shielding him from Leo. The rain had all but stopped, the heat of summer beginning to climb back around them, the air becoming heavy in the humidity.

Sai and Katana lifted, ready to deal out the power of the masters that wielded them, when suddenly there was a flash of green between them and the loud crack of wood against skin. Both Leonardo and Raphael cried out, forcibly coming to a stop. Standing in the gap between them was their second youngest brother, amber eyes stern as he glared at each of them, Bo staff in hand, his breath coming in short bursts.

"Donnie?" Raphael started, his hand rubbing the large knot that was forming on the side of his head, his vision still slightly blurry. He saw Michelangelo step up beside the purple turtle.

"Yeah. Donnie. Sorry about that, Raph," Donatello said, tipping his head to the side and wincing as he glimpsed the knot. Leonardo stood to the left of Donatello, a similar marking on his head, the blue- banded turtle, straightening, letting Donatello see just how much he was favoring one of his arms. Great. Awesome. He had hoped that Michelangelo and himself would have gotten there in time but it was clear they hadn't. It was also clear that whatever had happened, it had only happened to Leo. Scratched up, shoulder sloping lower than normal and just an overall battered look covering him, the eldest turtle had clearly not had the upper hand in the fight.

Raphael stood opposite, his glare now on Donatello although it had diminished drastically, as he straightened up too.

"You better have a damn good reason for standing between us," Raphael growled quietly. Donnie didn't let it bother him. He knew Raphael wouldn't strike him. Not without reason, anyway.

Donatello composed himself, sliding his Bo staff back into its holster. He gave them a dead-pan look.

"I shouldn't have to tell you two why this is wrong. You're brothers, not enemies! Leo," he said, turning to face his oldest brother, "You, of all people, you should have known what a terrible and risky idea this was! What if her parents had been here? What if there are cameras on the property? Raphael knows this place; he can evade them, but you can't! And to just rush at her when she's just finally getting comfortable with seeing _one _mutated turtle? You probably scared her half to death!."

Leo's gaze lit to the ground. Donnie was right. He was always right. Leo hadn't thought this plan through. He hadn't expected Raph to leave early; he'd went strictly on a time schedule that he'd only known for 3 or 4 days. He had been sloppy. He'd been impulsive. He'd been a little like, well, Raph.

"And you," Donnie continued, turning back to Raph, a little hurt in his amber eyes, "why didn't you tell me? This...Raph, you can't hide something like this, not when you're something like _us_. Keeping her a secret after we saved her, evading patrol and staying out all night. You're lucky as hell that Master Splinter hasn't noticed_. _If you care for her so much, you shouldn't have hidden her like this. Not for this long. We need to know if we can trust her," Donnie stated, sighing heavily as his hand moved up to rub his eyes. Oh, how he loathed playing Mother Hen.

Raphael stayed silent, his green eyes defiant, giving no hint of understanding Donnie's points even though he had.

"As for why I stopped you. Well, I didn't think you wanted her to see you like that," Donatello stated before turning to face the open balcony doors. Standing there like a pale spectre, Sarina watched this all with wide eyes, a long white strip of cloth clutched in her hands. Her pale green eyes roamed from turtle to turtle slowly.

The girl didn't honestly know what to think. A taller turtle, one that seemed to be the common sense among them, a purple band around his eyes, looked at her, a grim smile flashing across his face. Donatello. She remembered Raphael making fun of the color of Donatello's mask.

She looked at the one in blue, that one that had wanted to talk to her. His shoulder sagged and he refused to meet her gaze, looking instead at the ground or the sky. Leonardo.

A smaller turtle to her left smiled brightly at her, an orange mask making his light blue eyes pop. The smile was contagious and Sarina managed a weak, pathetic version of it before letting her eyes fall on Raphael's. The neon green orbs held too many emotions for her to grasp. Anxiety, relief, anger and fear just to name a few. She swallowed and turned, making her way cautiously to Leonardo.

The blue-banded turtle glanced at her, registering surprise that she was coming towards him. She felt awkward. She felt like she _looked_ awkward. Not really knowing how to start, she nodded towards his arm.

"I...I think it's popped out of socket. If you...If you hold still.."

"Hey, wait! What're you-OW! Jesus! That hurt! Huh...it's not so bad now..."

Sarina released Leo's arm before handing the white strip to him. The turtle took it because he didn't know what else to do, his face still frozen in surprise.

"You should probably bind it, just to let it rest, you know?" She turned then and noticed the stares of the other three turtles. Tucking a stray curl back, she gave a shrug.

"I take a Nursing Assistance class. Not really something I want to keep doing though," she had started to ramble so she clamped her mouth shut and moved to stand beside Raphael. She turned and faced his brothers with him, her hand slipping down his arm to intertwine her fingers with his. Whatever he was about to face with his brothers, she would face it with him. She cleared her throat and stood straight.

"Whatever you may think about me, you have every right too. I'm an outsider, a part of a social group that can't even accept off-brand clothing, let alone mutated boys. I can't tell you that I would have reacted to Raphael in the same way had we met on the street and not when I wrecked. The important part is that I could have told everyone by now, sold Raphael out to a lab. But I haven't and I won't. Raph means more to me than that. I ask you to trust me but if you can't, let me at least allow you to be around more to see if your opinions change," Sarina said softly, her eyes meeting each of the turtles, absent mindedly noticing the different eye colors. All were different but no one them struck her like Raphael's. None of them cut through her, glowed in the dark.

Raphael had watched her since Donatello had pointed her out. He hadn't wanted her to see him in the light that his brothers always seen him in. When she'd moved towards Leonardo in the beginning, Raphael couldn't deny the jealousy that flared to life within him. Relief replaced it when he saw what she was trying to do and when she came to stand beside him and prove herself in front of his brothers.

The other turtles were silent, waiting for what Leo's verdict was. He rubbed his shoulder lightly as he watched her, his expression troubled. He sighed in defeat.

"Fine. You seem sensible and collect, which is amazing seeing as you're with Raph. We'll stay around. Just for a while. We still have to patrol tonight," he said, ignoring the collective groan from his brothers. He cleared his throat as he looked directly at Sarina.

"I'm sorry I scared you. I overreacted and my decisions were made on the impulse of keeping my brothers safe," Leonardo stated, his eyes darting temporarily to the ground. Sarina waited for a moment before giving him a soft smile of forgiveness.

"I understand, Leonardo. I probably would have done the same thing if I had siblings," the slight blonde admitted. Leo returned the smile and opened his mouth to say something when Michelangelo jumped between them.

This turtle was lighter than the others with a slight sheen of freckles across his cheekbones. His grin was huge and nearly as bright as his baby blues. Sarina, unsure of what to do, simply looked at him with wide eyes.

"Hiya, I'm Michelangelo, but you can call me Mikey. I'm the coolest of my brothers," that gained a snort from Raphael, "And I just want you to know that you're really pretty." The last part came out with a goofy grin and just general adorable-ness. Sarina felt her cheeks heat up and a grin split her face. Michelangelo was the definition of the Cute-Little-Brother.

"Thank you," she said, returning the beaming smile. Raphael rolled his eyes again and moved forward, shoving Mikey out-of-the-way. He pointed at the taller of the turtles, this one had slightly more humanoid features and a violet mask around his amber eyes.

"That's Donatello. He's the geek of the family. And ya obviously already know Leo here," he stated, tugging Sarina closer on instinct. He became that way when Leo was around because, to Raphael, everything was a competition with his older brother.

The blonde gave a small wave to Donnie and waited while Raph finished speaking. She watched as Mikey came slinking back around to stand by her, finding herself grin again at his silly antics.

"Hey," she whispered to him whilst leaning away from Raphael slightly, "Do you like video games? Like, 3DS ones?"

Mike froze, his expression serious suddenly. "Of course I do. Why? Oh god, do you have a 3DS?!" His voice rose then and alerted his brothers who all simultaneously turned to them.

"I have 5. But I only have Pokemon X and Y. I use the others to clone and get different friend Safaris," Sarina stated, looking very proud of herself. "Wanna borrow one?"

Michelangelo nearly flipped. Well, technically he did do a flip, his joy and hope obvious on his face. "Oh man, are you serious?! Yes, I want to borrow one! Where are they?"

"In my room. Wait, why don't you guys all come in? We can just hang out and start the Trust-Sarina process," she said, looking up at Raphael, who looked extremely disappointed that they wouldn't be spending time by their selves, trying to get him to agree. This was a good idea and it would show the turtles that she truly didn't have a problem being close to them. That she wasn't out to get them.

The red-banded turtle studied her face for a while, taking in the hope that was in her eyes, the yearning for a chance to prove that she was worth his brothers trust. Part of him wanted to tell them to get lost. Sarina didn't have to prove anything to them. But the other part, the bigger part, understood how important this was to her. How much it would mean to her if they felt Raph was safe with her. His sharp features softened, his large hand giving hers a gentle squeeze as he nodded, turning back to his brothers.

"Yeah, why don'tcha guys come in. She's got enough stuff in there to entertain all of ya," he grumbled, jerking his head towards the balcony doors. Sarina released his hand to make her way into the dark room. A moment after she disappeared into the dark, light flooded into the room; illuminating the bookshelves packed with books, a white desk carrying small figurines of glass and a light blue laptop, a small canopy bed and a game station that included a wall mounted TV and large rack of Xbox 360 games.

Mikey screamed like a girl and tore off into the room, plopping down heavily into one of the gamer chairs. Raphael cringed, worried his youngest brother would break something important of Sarina's and then Raph would have to break _him._ The red-banded turtle stayed back while the other two followed Mikey's pursuit, Donnie immediately going to bookshelves as Leo just looked around in general.

The second eldest wasn't sure about what to think right then. It had always just been Sarina and himself. He'd never had to share her attention, with anyone and in many ways, he wondered if he had kept them from meeting her for that purpose. When he was with Sarina, he wasn't a mutant turtle destined to constantly fight the Shredder, the Foot and the Kraang. He wasn't the son of a martial arts master, pushing himself to train and train until his body gave out.

When he was here, with her, he was just Raph, 16-year-old boy hanging out with his girlfriend. It was just him and her, the beautiful girl who blushed when he was close, looked at him with light green eyes filled with an emotion Raphael was still foreign too, making his heart pound hard against his ribs and his stomach to do flip-flops. They would talk, something Raphael didn't exactly like doing. Words were Donnie's forte. But with her, they came easily to the constantly angry teen.

Was he sure he wanted to bring his brothers into this place he had with Sarina? This peace that he'd tried so damned hard to find? He snorted. It was a little too late to think about that. They were already here, already tromping all over his space like they did at home.

His sharp green eyes watched as Sarina moved from Mikey to Leo to Donnie, pointing out games and books and a rather large unopened chemistry set from beneath her desk. Some of his territorial grudge faded as he saw how she talked to them easily, like she had him, offering nothing but friendship to them. He felt his chest become light as she turned and made her way back to him, back to Raphael.

"Are you alright?" She asked quietly, her hands moving to touch his forearms. Skin against tiny, soften scales. She looked up at him, actually looked at him. He was so different looking from his brothers. His features were sharper, giving him cheekbones and a nose ridge. His lower lip was fuller, giving him a slightly pouting look. His green eyes looked into hers and softened, not as harsh now in their glow. Giving a half-smile, he reached up and hesitantly touched her face, still new to these gestures. The girl smiled and closed her eyes, leaning into his large rough hand. There went his stupid heart again. He wanted to kiss her but his mind was full of what if's. What if she was uncomfortable with doing it in front of his brothers? What if he messed it up? What was he supposed to do with his teeth again? What if he-

Fuck it.

Raphael lowered his head and caught her lips with his. So much softer and more pliable than his. Everything was gone in that moment, with that kiss, and his arms wrapped around her waist, her own hands coming up to grip his biceps, her pulse thudding in her ears. Raphael didn't need to be like other guys. He didn't need to grope and become aggressive when showing this affection.

No, he simply needed to _be_, letting his reigned in power wash over her, sending shivers down her body. He was a great danger, a threat to everything. He could destroy any man or beast near him should he really want too. Yet, he didn't. Years of training with his father and brothers had taught him a control that was extremely rare in anyone these days. Yet here he was, strength and danger rolling off of him in waves, even at such a young age.

Yet, she knew he would never hurt her; that he would protect her no matter what. When that protection, that _feeling_, that power and strength is aimed at one person, it can be overwhelming. To Sarina, it was consuming, that fire that was known to Raphael only, taking her by storm. But this time, she welcomed it. With just that small kiss, she was lit from within.

Raphael pulled back slightly, resting his forehead against hers.

"As much as I don't like it, I know this is what has to happen, ya know? I mean, ya would've had ta have met them one day. I jus'...I feel like we'll never be..ya know, alone," he admitted quietly, letting out a long breath he hadn't been aware of holding.

Sarina shook her head.

"Nonsense. They won't be here all the time. I just...I'd like them to trust me like you do. I would never hurt you, even if you did leave me. I want you happy, Raphael. Always," she said, her lilting voice like chimes in his ears. He let out a ragged breath and his eyes closed, a genuine smile on his face. She returned the grin. Reaching up, she poked the tip of his beak.

"Boop," She said, grinning like an idiot when he crumpled his face at her. "Come on, let's go join your brothers."

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_**/Alright, my apologies for the slow chapter but there was a lot to wade through with these two. The intro of the brothers and this talk needed to happen to get to the rest of the story, including the Shredder, Karai, the Foot and the Kraang. There will be some Sarina and Raph fluff of course but now that we've got the ball rolling, things with everyone else should progress nicely. Anywho, like promised, this next bit is an exert from my Leonardo Fic that's still a work in progress. It is with great pain that I announce it will not be a LeoxKarai pairing. I hate Karai. And the 2012 TMNT only made that more so when they made her look like Miley Cyrus -_- Ugh, anyway, it took a long time and a lot of talking with a friend, I've decided to make this OC a Kunoichi of Asian descent. However, there's A LOT behind her and I can't shove it all into this one tiny taste of the story. I really hope that you guys like her. Remember that this isn't a finished product. Anyway, here you go. Please give me your opinion on this exert as well as the story chapter./**_

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The kunoichi looked up from the concrete rooftop in shock. The sleet was moving all but horizontal through the air, the cold December wind cutting at Karai's skin, at the slices that ran across her legs and chest. Her breath heaving from her chest, she looked up at the figure that stood over her, black blades shining morbidly in the dark, Karai's blood glistening along the sides. The swords were strange; giant ebony blades that sank in towards the middle where leather wrapped around to make a hilt. They reminded Karai of Dual Blades, a weapon made when the hilts of two katana's were locked together. But it wasn't Dual Blades, the weapons the ninja held in each hand being a single giant black blade.

The Kunoichi was not used to being bested and normally no one _could _best her. But this ninja, this shadow, had appeared from no where, took out 15 Foot ninjas and then came after Karai. The strength, the ferocity in the attacks were remarkable. Normally, she'd admire this powerful fighting but now, her throat at the edge of a blade, she didn't think of anything except why this person was hunting her.

"Who are you?!" She screamed in anger, reaching for weapons that were no longer there. The shadow, tall and menacing, laughed. It reached up and tore away its armored mask. Long ebony hair fell down in a thick braid that reached the ninja's back. Karai's eyes registered the soft lines of the ninja's face, the pale blue eyes that looked at her in rage.

"You know me already, child of the Shredder. You stood in my home with your Foot clan. You slaughtered my mother, THE ONLY THING I HAD! Ha. Did you think that I would not come after you?," the newly unmasked kunoichi hissed. Karai tried to place her face but after so many, the female ninja had just stopped giving a shit about faces and names.

Something creeped into her mind though. A scientist. A recluse that had refused to give up her notes, her research, research that was needed so badly by the Shredder. So, it was only normal that Karai had cut her down. There had been another woman there. A young one who was smaller, weak from sickness, who had tried to attack Karai only to be cut down and laughed at. The kunoichi hadn't thought about whether the young woman had lived or not.

Was this really her? This tall, dominating presence? The woman was strong and was nothing like the sickling Karai had left.

Her almond-shaped blue eyes narrowed and she raised the black blade to Karai's throat before drawing back slowly for the killing blow.

"Know that my mother's soul will be avenged with yours," the woman said, her voice low, the giant blade began to spin.

There was a loud clang, metal against ebony, and suddenly a figure stood between Karai and her enemy. The kunoichi immediately recognized the form. Leonardo, the man-turtle she'd screwed over so many times, stood guarding her from the one hunting her. With a laugh, Karai grinned and gathered her strength, pulling herself over the edge and disappearing into the night.

A shriek of pure hatred rose from the ebony-weilding woman.

"Get out of my way, creature!"

Leonardo didn't budge, katanas at the ready as he kept his stance and smile slightly, those blue eyes, eyes like the dead, unnerving him.

"Creature? Aw, you don't want to know my name?"

The kunoichi shifted, blades spinning in her hands now. Only five 5 words left her mouth before she attacked.

"I already know. You're dead."


	9. Chapter 9

"Donnie! Donnie, save me! He's trying to eat my face!"

"Hold on, Mikey, I'm coming!"

The two characters on the screen tried to fight their way out of the zombie-infested main hall of the campus. Just as Leon was about to roundhouse the undead that was attacking Helena, there was a quiet _pop_ and the TV went black.

"Aw, come on!" Michelangelo cried, looking over his shoulder at his older brothers in irritation.

"Time to go you two. It's nearly 3 in the morning," Leo said, tipping his head towards the large round clock that hung on Sarina's wall. The youngest brother groaned and dramatically hauled himself up, Donatello turning off the console and TV before following Michelangelo, stretching his long limbs as he did so. To the side of the room, Raphael picked himself up off the carpet and shook out his muscles, giving Mikey a playful shove as the turtles made their way to the balcony doors. Mikey was talking excitedly about the new red 3DS in his hands, bouncing back and forth between Leo and Donnie.

On his way past her, Raph snatched up Sarina's hand, the girl smiling and lightly laughing, as he pulled her under his arm while they followed his brothers out. Once aside, they formed a semi-circle, saying their goodbyes and promising that hangouts like this would happen more often. She promised next time there would be pizza. Mikey promised that he would eat it.

As the brothers disappeared into the darkness of New York, one stayed behind. It was the quiet moments that frightened him the most. He touched her face, her hair, then left a sweet, innocent kiss for her to remember him by. With a wink, he also disappeared, his green eyes the last thing to be seen as he faded.

Sarina Windsor stood on her balcony, a smile on her face as she watched Raphael lose himself into the night. The warm wind wrapped around her as she crossed her arms over her chest, a smile pulling at pink lips as she entered her room and closed the balcony doors behind her.

The boys ran, scaled feet making no sound as they touched the concrete. Shapes in the darkness, they fled across the rooftops, fled from the idea of their Sensai realizing they weren't in their beds. The air was cooler now, not as heavy but a thin sheen of sweat coated them as their muscles stretched and clenched, pushing them faster and faster.

When they were running, things like the Shredder, the Kraang and girl problems were the last thing on their mind. They were a team, running as one, burning as one, as they crossed the city. They jumped and flipped and soared through the air, too quick to be obvious to the unseeing eyes.

The two eldest, constantly at war with each other, made a common agreement in these times. Slightly in sync, one never over-stepped the other but were always at the head of the team. Movements identical and skin equally dark in the night, they could have been twins, save for the eyes.

The mutated teens made their way down into the alleyways, away from the stars and clear air. Smoke and gas fumes engulfed them as they made their way to the sewers. Once inside the safe darkness, they relaxed slightly. They slowed and talked quietly, mostly about Sarina and how they felt the night went.

Mikey enjoyed his time and was eager to return; with Raphael, of course. Donatello was impressed by the book collection. The brand new chemistry set in his hands which held a lot of equipment that he desperately needed helped a bit.

All eyes looked to Leo but he only shrugged his shoulders. The rest of the way home was silent except for the sounds of Mikey's new handheld game. Upon entering the lair, Master Splinter was found to still be asleep.

Immediately, with a few grumbled good nights, the four went to bed.

The sun rose like it always did in the city that never sleeps, shining on the cars already racing down the road. The brothers were already awake and fed, moving gracefully through their katas, yawns and silence filling the dojo as they warmed up.

In the small time before Master Splinter came in, Leo watched Raph. The red-masked turtle was going through the katas differently. Little things he noticed, like how his shoulders were relaxed and his movements flowing instead of jerking and tense.

Raphael moved with an ease that Leo had never seen in his brother before. He couldn't believe it but he was seeing Raphael completely calm.

As the morning progressed through Master Splinter's training, Raphael stayed just as calm. Smug but calm. He took out Michelangelo with ease as Leo did to Donnie. And when the brothers, fire and ice, face each other, the calm remained.

Raphael wouldn't have been able to tell you what was different. He was just in a generally good mood. Things had just been, well, good since he'd woke up. He didn't have to worry about thinking up new excuses to go out at night and it seemed like his brothers liked Sarina for the most part.

His body hadn't been sore in any way and he hadn't been annoyed once. Somehow, he thought every once in a while that he would feel a chill air around him as he moved, cooling him. The scent of vanilla had started clinging to his skin, being a constant reminder of Sarina.

In the midst of his thoughts, he heard Leo call to him. Taking a deep breath, he followed his eldest brother out to living room.

Leonardo sat down near the small, make-shift pool, Raphael following suit. For a moment, they just sat there, waiting for the room to clear of their Sensai. When he finally left, Leo rubbed the back of his neck.

"You know how Splinter's always telling us about Tang Shen and himself?" Leo asked, his voice low and brow scrunched up as he tried to figure out what he was trying to say. Raphael did nothing but nod, green eyes locked on the water, half-lidded, his mouth a thin line.

Leo looked up, his eye watching the tire swing gently back and forth.

"From what Master Splinter says, and from what very little experience we have had, love can be just as much of a weapon as your Sais or my Katanas. I went there, to her house, in attempt to save you from what Donnie and I experienced. It wasn't even near the term of "love" but it hurt, Raphael. Every step that I took against Karai, every time she betrayed my trust, it felt like a punch to the chest. I'm...disappointed in myself that I still think of her; that I still hesitate when fighting her even though she shows no hesitation."

"With Donnie, he's had to sit by and watch the girl he had crushed on for a year fall for some guy that was the complete opposite of Donatello," Leo said, throwing his hands in the air, feeling as if he wasn't explaining this correctly.

"Look," he continued, "I just didn't want to see you get hurt. You may be slightly bigger but your still my little brother. After watching Donnie and then going through it myself, I worry about you and Mikey, especially Mikey. I knew it was only a matter of time. I just...be careful. Watch out for the signs, if that makes any sense."

Raphael looked over then at Leo, his green eyes serious. "I'll be fine, Leo. Sarina's not like Karai or April. She...she gets me, ya know? An' that's somethin' that doesn't happen everyday, bro. Can I ask you somethin'? Without you getting your panties in a twist?" Raphael had his elbows on his knees, looking over at his brother without a hint of malice or annoyance. Leo returned the gaze for a moment before nodding.

"What made ya go there instead of face me first?"

"I don't...I don't know. It seemed good at the time? It was a dumb decision on my part. That's probably not how you wanted her to meet the rest of your family. I just looked at it like it was a problem that needed to be nipped in the bud. I figured she would be the easier one to bend out of the two of you. I didn't know she'd scream and try to bite me," Leo admitted, giving a baffled look as he looked at Raph. The red-banded turtle laughed loudly.

"You didn't tell me she tried to bite you!"

"That's why I was pushing her forehead back! She was trying to lock her teeth into my arm," Leo explained, showing his arm that was decorated with small pink scratches, "I was shocked she was even that strong. She was squirming worse than Mikey does when we make him take a bath."

The two sat there, laughing for a moment. When silence fell, Raphael stood up, waiting for Leo to follow suit before giving a punch to his older brothers shoulder.

"Don't worry about me, Fearless. I can handle it. Sarina cares about me. I don't ever see her leavin' me or New York," he said, a certainty in his voice that made Leo feel slightly relieved. The blue- banded turtle watched as Raphael left the dojo, no doubt going to see the very same girl who tried to eat Leo's arm.

The room was filled with conversation punctuated now and then by laughter and the slow lilt of a piano being played by some unnamed pianist. Adults, men and women in the early 30's and late 40's, some older than that, milled around, socializing with other well-dressed people. Sarina was one of the few young people who were in the area.

A sea of strangers. All acting with friendly with one another. All wanting nothing more than to see the other fall.

She moved quietly through the throng of socialites, avoiding most of them as she made her way to the refreshment table. Her parents were throwing another fundraiser ball, inviting most of the politically powerful people in New York. Jennifer and her parents were here. So was Jake along with his parents. So far, she'd managed to stay clear of all of them.

Clad in white silk flats and a gauzy summer dress that fell around her figure, she brushed back the curls that had been so perfectly placed the hairdresser. The theme of the Ball was "Shades". Everything around her was black and white and gray, the walls of the large room pristine white with black and gray accents. The large chandelier in the center of the room held black onyx dangles and white crystals.

It blinded Sarina somehow. After the many nights of being surrounded by color; deep emerald and neon green, blood-stained reds and shiny silver, this was too plain, too suffocating for her. The room was too cold, even with all the bodies in it.

The blonde had just made it to the drink bar and was reaching for some of the cold water when she heard her name. Freezing, she looked to the right with her peripherals and groaned. Blonde, tan and muscled, all 6'2" of him, Jake was less than 10 feet away from her. Dressed in a white fitted button down, the arms rolled up to his elbows, and almost too-white jeans, he was no doubt the best looking man, young or old, in the room. His blonde hair fell into his light blue eyes, eyes that had found her. To everyone else, the look was perfectly normal. But Sarina knew what it was. She hadn't called him or answered his texts this past few weeks. She'd stood him up twice since she'd been home. Those pretty blue eyes held a wrath that was promised just for her.

Without a second thought, she darted through the crowd in the opposite direction. She didn't want to be near him. She didn't want anything to do with him. The ignored calls apparently hadn't gotten the point across.

It was easy to slip through the bodies but she knew Jake was following her still, even as she made her way towards the door. These people didn't know her, didn't care that she was needing to get away from this young man.

She received a few grunts and rude exclamations as she made her way towards the door, desperate to get to the door. A wave of relief washed over her once her hand wrapped around the cold metal handle, opening the heavy door and allowing her to move out into sweet freedom.

Her rejoicing was cut short once she'd realized she hadn't exactly planned this far. Where was she going to go? Wasn't Raphael supposed to be here soon? In the moment, she fled down the drive, dodging cars as she heard the front door open.

"Sarina! Stop!" Jake yelled, the loud crunch of gravel alerting her that he was running now too. She panicked, her once pearl-white slippers now coated in dust and dirt, and pushed her legs to go faster.

"Get away from me, Jake!" She cried over her shoulder, her perfect up-do now falling in a cloud of crazed-curls. She stuck her tongue out, making a raspberry at him with all the maliciousness she had.

For some reason, the end of the drive and the street beyond represented another kind of freedom. Maybe she could jump on the back of a car or something. A strange mixture of giddiness and fear raced through her. She'd never done anything like this. This small rebellion was her first act of disobedience towards the perfect future that had always been held in front of her.

When her foot reached the street, she looked around quickly for a passing car or bike or something! A cry freed itself from her as she felt a strong grip on her upper arm, said grip quickly becoming painful. Jake yanked her around to face him, his handsome features distorted in anger.

"Are you being fucking serious?! Running away from me like that? With all those people around?!" He hissed vehemently, his blue eyes lit with anger.

"Let me go! I don't want to be around you anymore, Jake! I don't want to be _with you!"_ She exclaimed. Shock registered on the young man's face. Sarina had never reached that tone with him, nor had she ever acted out like this. She had always known her role and had always kept to it. The shock was quickly replaced by a sadistic anger.

"You actually think you can just walk away? After all the shit our parents have invested in this?" He said, giving her a shake. She bulked and started jerking her arm in attempt to get away.

"I don't care! I've...I've met someone! And I really like him. I don't want to be your pretty little doll anymore!" Sabrina cried.

"Someone else? You cheated on me? You little slut, you'll pay for this, believe me. _You belong to me!"_ He snapped, his shaking turning violent. Sarina's face went scarlet at the insult and before she knew what she was doing, her hand had snapped across his cheek. She was released from his hold as he moved his hand to his cheek. The tan planes of his face grew dark and he bared his teeth. Sarina froze, her soft green eyes going wide as she watched in fear as he stood there. In Raph's words, she was having an "Oh, shit!" moment.

A loud crack filled the air and the young woman hit the hard pavement of the sidewalk. Silence bloomed in the moments that followed before the loud gunning of a motorcycle was heard not far away from them.

Raphael had spotted the Stealth Cycle on his way out of the den. Donnie had been making changes on it, obviously in Raph's favor. It had lost the black shell casing, only to be replaced by sleek red and silver metal. It looked more like the sport-cycles that they saw in magazines. Slick and dangerous and too good for Raphael to say no too.

Donning the baggy pants and red hoody he'd gotten from April, he made a mental note that he would have to get new clothes soon as the rate he was growing. As an extra precaution, he tied a bandanna over his face and replaced his mask with dark sunglasses. The turtle laughed a little too hard when he looked in the mirror, realizing that now his appearance matched his accent. No one would ever argue that he wasn't from Brooklyn with this gig on.

"You look like the Uni-bomber," Donnie quipped, having watched that Dick and Jane movie way too many times.

He maneuvered the bike easily through the streets of New York, making his way to Sarina's, a grin that told the world how much of a bad-ass he thought he was.

The drive there only took a few minutes, faster than running, and he couldn't wait to see Sarina's face when she saw him on this. As he was turning the vehicle down her street, he slowed to a crawl as he saw two figures in the middle of the street. A small young woman and a much taller young man. Squinting, he started getting a twisted feeling in his gut. The curly gold hair looked an awful lot like Sarina. Who was the douche that she was talking too?

He crept a little farther up, leaning back and pushing his hood back a little to get a better view.

All that peaceful bullshit from earlier disappeared as he watched the man take hold of her and shake her. He saw the slap that she'd delivered and stood there as stunned as the dude. What happened next was almost too fast for Raph to see.

The man's hand rose and came down with a crack upon Sarina's cheek. The girl hit the ground with a thud. Rage washed over him again. What was up with all these guys attacking his girlfriend? The cycle forgotten, he was running at the man. He didn't bother with his weapons, the feeling of his fist in this guy's face was going to be so much better.

Sarina heard Raphael before she saw him. With a loud growl, he descended upon the two. Instantly, a roundhouse kick connected with Jake's face, sending the boy a good six feet away, a small shriek coming from him.

At first, she didn't believe this hoodlum in front of her was Raph. Dressed in baggy clothes, large tan work boots, a face bandanna and sunglasses, the pissed-off terrapin moved quickly to Jake, who was clasping his jaw and struggling to get up.

"What kinda punk attacks women, huh? Too much of a pussy to go afta grown men?" Raphael growled out. Jake looked down at him in confusion. Raphael wasn't as tall, only reaching Jake's mouth, but he had a lot more bulk and a lot more experience when it came to fighting. Jake swung at him, Raphael dodged to the right before delivering a swift and hard knee to the boy's stomach. Raphael quickly brought the guy back up before leveling him out with a single haymaker.

Jake hit the ground hard and didn't get back up, knocked out cold. Raphael wanted to give him a few nice kicks to the ribs but remembered Sarina.

He turned and quickly made his way over to her. Kneeling down, he pulled the bandanna down and took the glasses off.

"Jesus, babe, you jus' attract all the right sorts of company, don't ya?" he said quietly, his hand holding her face and tipping it so he could see. An angry red covered much of her cheek. With trembling hands, Sarina gripped his wrist. Her eyes stung but she smiled nevertheless. Raphael had saved her once again.

"I attracted your company though, didn't I?" She quipped back, her voice rough as she wiped at the tears. She was tired of crying in front of him.

For a few minutes, they just sat there, Raphael attempting to tame down her angry curls, making Sarina laugh. He stood and pulled her up, against him, as he looked over at Jake.

"What do we do 'bout him?" he asked, looking back at Sarina. She shook her head and looked towards the bike.

"Leave him. He'll be found by everyone after the party," she said, not caring at the moment. Raphael laughed and shrugged, moving Sarina towards the bike.

"Is that yours?" she asked, her green eyes taking in the rumbling machine. A little rough around the edges but otherwise perfect, the sports-cycle purred lowly as it sat there, awaiting its rider.

"Yep, yep," Raphael confirmed before putting his bandanna and glasses back on. Sarina vaguely registered that that was the first time she'd seen him without his mask. In fact, in the clothes that he was in now, he looked like just another kid from the Bronx, like some of the kids from her school. With him dressed like that, they would be able to go out on real dates...

The thoughts left her mind as Raphael pulled her onto the back of the bike, the girl instinctively wrapping her arms around his waist. She knew he was grinning by his posture as he gunned the bike, the machine rumbling beneath them; animalistic. A wave of weary excitement washed over her and she laughed out loud as Raphael tore forward into the night. She held the bike with her legs and put her arms in the air, tipping her hair back and letting her blond hair whip out behind her.

The teen mutant did nothing but grin. Sarina was always so cool and collected; so much like Leo. Without Raphael, she would have never experienced anything on the "Wild Side". When she was with Raphael, she seemed to be shoved into it. And when she was, she went from a distant, untouchable white rose into a blooming, vibrant tiger lily, bursting with sunshine. And Raph, having always been condemned to darkness, drank it all in.


End file.
